Cleveland Cavaliers hailed by Kendrick Perkins after improving to 6-1: "The Cavs got the best starting five in the league"
The Cleveland Cavaliers registered their sixth straight victory on Wednesday, defeating the Boston Celtics in overtime. With the win, Cleveland improved to 6-1 on the season.
Former Cavs center Kendrick Perkins, who now works as an analyst for ESPN, had stated in September that Cleveland had one of the best starting lineups in the league.
After their win against Boston, Perkins took to Twitter to double down on his claims.
"I said it once and I’ll say it again. The Cavs got the best starting five in the league! Carry the hell on…" he tweeted.
I said it once and I’ll say it again. The Cavs got the Best Starting Five in the League! Carry the hell on…
It looks like Perkins was spot on with his prediction. Through the first seven games of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Cavs have a 6-1 record, which puts them in second place in the East.
The big story for the Cavaliers against the Celtics was the return of Darius Garland to the starting lineup. Garland missed five straight games after suffering an eye injury during their season-opener against the Toronto Raptors.
The fourth-year guard out of Vanderbilt University dazzled the crowd as he scored 29 points, dished out 12 assists and had three steals. Despite reports of Garland being on a minute's restriction, he spent a hefty amount of time on the court and helped the Cavaliers to a memorable overtime win.
Cavaliers All-Star point guard Darius Garland will make his return to the lineup tonight vs. Boston, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Garland has been sidelined since Oct. 19 due to an an eye injury suffered while playing 13 minutes in Cleveland’s season opener in Toronto.
The Cavs' next game will be against the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a real threat in the East
The Cleveland Cavaliers could prove to be one of the biggest surprise packages in the NBA this season. After seeing the potential they had last season, the front office decided to bolster the squad by acquiring Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz. In Mitchell, the team has a go-to scorer they need in close situations.
Overall, the Cavs have been outstanding as a unit, especially from downtown. So far this season, Cleveland is second in 3-point percentage with 40%. It also helps that their newly-acquired star is playing unselfish basketball and generating looks for his teammates.
The only concern for the Cavs right now is fitness. If they can stay healthy throughout the 82-game season, they could cause some problems in the East. Many big-name teams are dealing with off-court issues, and Cleveland should look to capitalize and secure a berth in the playoffs.